Beautiful Nightmare
by Predatorluv07
Summary: AU: Every 23rd spring, for 23 days, it gets to eat. This spring its hungry for something that only one person can give it and it will stop at nothing to get them.
1. Heading Home

**A/N: a reimagining of my first story, The Beautiful Creeper. I feel this story is more put together and more mature. **

**Warning: This story will be much darker than the original and is not meant for younger readers.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Jeepers Creepers or any of its characters. **

Chapter 1: Heading Home

As I look out of the window of my home, I can't help feeling that something bad is coming my way. I keep telling myself that I'm just nervous about going home for spring break. I haven't seen my family in over a year since I left for college. I am the youngest of three and we all ended up going to the same college, at the request of our parents so we could carpool and not waste gas. Me and my siblings usually got along, but lately Trish has been distant, I suspect it has something to do with her asshole of a boyfriend. One time I found Trish with bruises on her arms in the shape of hands, but she said it was an accident. I didn't believe her for a second, but I knew if I pushed too hard, she would withdraw further, I have never mentioned this to Darry though because I had no evidence, but I could always sense when something was wrong. I just hope that Trish will confide in us soon because I know it's not healthy to keep things like abuse to yourself.

"Karen are you gonna stare out the window all day or are you gonna pack?" Trish asked from across the room. It was then that I looked at the clock and realized that I had been staring out the window for almost an hour and a half.

"Sorry Trish, I just got lost in thought." I said with a smile.

"That's been happening a lot lately, is something wrong?" she asked, knowing that when I begin to space out it usually means something is going to happen.

"I honestly don't know, I just have a feeling that something really bad is going to happen." I said.

"Well, nothing bad is gonna happen to us Karen so stop worrying. Now come away from the window before someone sees you without your jacket." She said in a comforting tone.

I looked at her and smiled. Maybe she was right and nothing bad would happen to us, but I still couldn't shake the feeling. I moved away from the window and put on my custom sleeveless duster jacket to hide my wings. I probably should have mentioned that I'm not exactly human and that I look very different from my brother and sister. I have long white hair, pointed ears that I hide with my hair, bright blue eyes and of course a pair of huge wings. My parents told me when I was younger that they found me as a baby on their front porch and when they brought me into the house, Trish and Darry, who were only 4 and 2 at the time, came rushing over to see me and when I smiled up at them they fell in love and begged our parents to keep me, which they did. It was a little difficult at first, but everyone adjusted well; until I started teaching myself how to fly, but that's a story for later.

I get back to packing my bags for the trip home and think about whose car we were taking a what route we were taking home. I heard Trish and Darry talking about taking her car and driving the back-way home down East 9. The thought of traveling down the nine made me shutter for some reason, but I just chalked it up to being nerves again. Once I had everything packed, I set my bags down in the hallway of our apartment and waited for Trish to get off the phone with Darry. We must pick him up since he lives on campus and Trish and I share an apartment off campus.

"Ok, well see you then Dare." Trish said as she hung up the phone.

"Ready to go?" Trish said with a smile.

"Yep, let's get going while there's still daylight." I said jokingly.

Trish nodded, and we grabbed our stuff, locked up the apartment and headed to the car. We threw the big suitcases in the trunk and the smaller ones with our food, water and other necessities in the back seat and then headed out. Once we arrived at the campus, we found Darry outside his dorm with all his bags. I got out and switched to the back seat after he put all his bags in because he offered to drive half way and Trish really wanted to sit in the front, so she could put her feet on the dash, which I was fine with since it was her car and that meant I could lay in back as we traveled.

"Everyone ready for the longest sibling trip ever!" Darry exclaimed with childish excitement to make me and Trish laugh.

"All right brat let's not start that until we're on the road." Trish said smiling and rolling her eyes. I just giggled and shook my head.

"This is going to be a very interesting trip home." I said as we pulled off.

I knew that once we got further into the trip, we would start playing the games we made up when we were teenagers, but for now we just chatted about our midterms and what our family plans for break were. We haven't spent this much time together since the holidays and I couldn't be happier, but occasionally when Darry would bring up the topic of relationships, Trish would change the subject almost instantly. I knew it was a touchy subject for Trish, but she needs to gain the strength to tell us herself. We would bring up our past adventures from when we were kids and laugh about when we goofed up when trying to do something simple, like when Darry got his head stuck in the banisters of the stairs while acting like he was intangible, or when Trish got her hair caught in the mixer while we were making a birthday cake for our dad, or the time I clogged the vacuum with my shoes because I forgot to pick them up and the laces got tangled in the rotating brush. We have had a lot of mishaps in the past, but we can laugh about them and make others laugh whenever we are at family functions or hanging out with friends. It kinda saddens me that those days of goofing off are over but if we keep these memories, we will never truly be apart.

After about three hours of driving down the first stretch of East 9, we stop to get gas, lunch and a much-needed bathroom break. I went into the store to get more snacks and drinks for the road while Trish went to the bathroom and Darry waiting in line to pay for gas. I looked around the store and picked up all the necessities such as toilet paper, water, batteries, etc. plus a few treats for us and proceeded to the register. As I stood in line, I noticed that the walls were covered with missing person fliers. The people ranged from young, old, rich, poor, locals, tourists, male, female, as well as a variety of ethnicities. I notice that all the people seemed to have disappeared in the same year and within the same month which I found was odd, but I also got a chill down my spine from this fact. I saw Darry pay for the gas and then head back to the car and when it was my turn to check out, I continued to look at the fliers and the cashier noticed this.

"It's a shame, so many different people vanishing into thin air." He said catching my attention.

"Yeah, what's the story behind these disappearances; surely they can't all be related." I said trying to get more information.

"No one really knows, the only thing that links these cases is that they were either living near or traveling down East 9 and that they all disappeared 23 years ago." He explained while ringing up my items.

"And there have been no leads as to who is behind this?" I ask.

"Unfortunately, no, but some of the crazier locals will tell you that a winged beast swooped down and took their loved ones; I wouldn't pay them any mind since they are just trying to make since of a bad situation and will rely on old legends to help ease the pain of losing a loved one." He explained as he began typing in my total.

"Ok that'll be $23.23." He said. I thought the total was odd but figured it was nothing and handed him the amount owed. The bagboy bagged my groceries and handed them to me and as I was about to walk out the door, the cashier turned to me.

"Hey, be safe out there." He said and then returned to checking out another customer.

"I will." I replied and continued back to the car.

I walk back to the car to see Darry getting ready to fill the tank, so I figured I should try to be productive while we wait on Trish and for the tank to fill. I try to organize everything in the backseat so that I can lay down a take a nap when we get back on the road, but it was proving to be a little more difficult than I thought. Darry had a lot more stuff in his bags than I thought and most of it was dirty clothes, 'really Darry' I thought to myself, but I knew it was more for mom because she has been experiencing empty nest syndrome. Bringing home dirty laundry is Darry's way of telling mom that no matter how old we are we will always need her in our lives. Trish doesn't know Darry does this and Darry doesn't know that I know why he does it, but I'll let them figure it out; as the youngest I find it entertaining when my older siblings get into silly arguments.

"Hey, Karen we got everything we need?" Darry asked as he finished filling the tank.

"I believe so; just waiting on Trish to get out of the bathroom." I reply.

I knew Trish would be a while because no matter where you go, there is always a line for the women's bathroom. This rest stop is always packed because it's the last stop before heading down the nine or the main highway and the next stops are hours away in either direction, so everyone stops here to stock up, gas up, and relieve themselves. I hear the pump stop and Darry putting the nozzle back on the pump and at almost the same time we see Trish walking towards the car. Me and Darry smile and getting in the car, Trish hops into the passenger side and we head out.

"God why is there always a line for the girl's bathroom?!" Trish asked in an irritated voice.

"Because, we females are very particular about hygiene." I said sarcastically.

Trish looked back at me and tried to look serious, but it failed as she began to smile and we both burst out laughing. Darry just shook his head and giggled while keeping his eyes on the road. Trish and I continued to joke about the stereotypes surrounding females and even Darry joined in a few times but otherwise let us enjoy ourselves. After a while, we stopped talking and I began to feel a little sleepy, so I decided to take a nap while we were on smooth asphalt before we got onto the main stretch of East 9.

"Hey guys, I'm gonna take a nap, wake me up if we stop." I said.

"Ok, just don't roll off the seat and don't blame us if we run over a big bump." Darry said jokingly.

I smiled and told them that I'll be fine and that I would blame them anyway because that's what siblings do. As I lie down, I couldn't help but feel even more nervous than when we left the campus, but I shrugged it off and closed my eyes. I drifted off to sleep quickly, but still couldn't shake this unsettling feeling. Little did I know that when I woke up, I would be pit against my worst nightmare. I was also about to learn the hard way that you should always follow your instincts.

**A/N: Well there's chapter 1, what did you guys think? I have many more chapters coming and this story will not follow the original, there will be similar elements but not a lot.**


	2. Terror on the Road

Chapter 2: Terror on the Road

_~Dream sequence~_

_I found myself standing in a cornfield, with no recollection of how I got there, just staring at a strange looking scarecrow in the distance. I moved a bit closer and noticed that I could hear faint whispers coming from it. "…te", I heard it say but couldn't make out the word. I moved closer, but suddenly I felt like I shouldn't try to move any closer and I didn't. I felt that something was very wrong and that I shouldn't be here. As the feeling of unease grew, I started to back up and walk in the opposite direction of the scarecrow. I walked about five feet before I heard a low growl coming from some distance behind me. I looked back, even though my instincts were telling me to keep moving and saw that the scarecrow was no longer on the post; it was standing in front of it and growling. I gasped and ran in the opposite direction as fast as I could. I made it about 50 feet before a heavy weight landed on me, pinning me to the ground. _

_~End dream sequence~_

Before anything happened in my dream, I woke up. I woke with a start, but somehow kept myself from screaming. I notice that I'm sweating despite not feeling hot at all. I look up and see Trish staring back at me, knowing what she's gonna say.

"Are you, all right?" Trish said, looking back at me with a concerned look.

I look up at her and wiped the sweat off my forehead.

"Yeah, I'm fine, it was just a bad dream that's all." I tell her.

"Ok, but you look like you've just seen a ghost." she said as she turned to face forward in her seat.

I felt that my nightmare wasn't just a dream, but more of a vision. I shake my head and push away those thoughts, trying to convince myself that I'm being ridiculous, but I knew that there was more to my dream than what I saw. I never told my family this, thinking they were just average dreams, but ever since I was little, I've always dreamt of being in a wide-open field like the ones we are passing right now. In these dreams, I'm surrounded by white crows and they tell me to stay away, but whenever I asked, 'from what or where' I would wake up as if something didn't want me to know the answer. I eventually grew out of these dreams, but they always made me question what or where I was supposed to stay away from.

"You actually did something nice for me that's a part of history you can't change." Darry said as I tuned in to their conversation.

I notice that Trish has her feet propped up on the dash board, but she puts them down and looks back down the road. I look back to see what she's looking at and see a stop sign fading into the distance.

"That was a stop sign." Trish said.

"You're kidding, right?" Darry asks all serious.

"In your car, I'd be kidding." Trish commented. It was true that Darry had a habit of barreling through stop signs when on a deserted road, but if the cops didn't catch him doing it, he would be fine.

"On this road? I haven't seen a car in 50 miles." Darry said.

I was surprised that I was asleep for that long but figured I must have been more exhausted than I thought. I feel the car begin to accelerate, so I look up and see that Darry is racing to catch up to a Winnebago. I knew what he was doing, he wanted to get close enough to read the license plate to see if it has a message. So far, Trish was winning the plate count; I was never really interested in the game, but hey it was something to occupy their time, so I just went with it.

"Come on Darry." Trish said trying to deter him, but we got closer and closer and he started to sound out what he saw.

"G-Gay… gay fever, no gay forever, gay forever ha that's mine, that's three for little bro." Darry exclaimed, only to realize his mistake too late.

"That's a six not a 'g' you idiot, that's sexy forever, that's mine, that's five to two." Trish said stealing his point.

"Shit." Darry replied.

I smile and cut in.

"Gay fever?" I asked with a smile and we all couldn't help but giggle.

Trish looked back at me and we all had a laugh. Darry proceeded to drive around the Winnebago and we all looked at the drivers and were a little surprised to see a middle-aged couple.

"Oh, sexy forever huh?" Darry commented, and Trish rolled her eyes and looked out the window.

"You know that is you in 40 years." Trish shot back in a disinterested tone.

We sit in silence for a few moments before Darry looks at Trish. I have a feeling I know what he's thinking and that our parents will be thinking the same thing. A few years ago, Trish brought her boyfriend home to meet our folks, this was before I graduated high school, and I immediately didn't like him. Mom and dad fell in love with the guy, but Darry and I had a gut feeling that he was no good.

"You know there's usually a reason when you like to take the long way home." Darry said, breaking the silence.

"Gee, like, maybe I like the country?" Trish said, trying to avoid the subject.

"Okay." Darry said, unconvinced.

"Just drive, brat." Trish replied harshly.

"Hey, I'm only thinking the same thing mom and dad are gonna be thinking. Trisha? Trisha why are you driving home for spring break with your sister and brat brother and not headin off somewhere with that nice Mr. Poly-Sci-Track- Team guy?" Darry said mimicking what our parents would likely ask. I sat there and was amazed at how accurate my feelings on what Darry was thinking were. I smile and continue listening to the conversation, hoping that Trish will finally tell us what's going on.

"I will tell them the exact same thing I'll tell you: none of your goddamn business." Trish told Darry trying to get him to drop the subject, but I knew our brother was not going to back down that easily. He looked at her with a curious expression and had a moment of silence before continuing.

"What? You don't think I could understand the complex nature of your relationships?" he shot back.

"No, I look at you as a real expert." she said sarcastically.

"Whatever, I don't care." Darry said, not really meaning it.

At this point, I saw that Trish didn't want to talk anymore and turned the radio on. Darry continued talking about if Trish broke things off with her boyfriend, she should figure out what she was gonna tell mom and dad. Trish wasn't really paying attention as she turned through the stations trying to find something other than preachers, farm reports, and country. Darry said something about how mom and dad were in love with Trish's boyfriend, but it was drowned out by some crazy preacher station. I saw Darry trying to suppress his laughter, but he couldn't hide his smile.

_What would Jesus do-_

_I am no fanatic, what I am is a fan of God-_

_A serpent-headed demon, shaking you by the…_

After that, Trish turned off the radio, frustrated.

"You wanted the back-way home. That's 10 hours of preachers, farm reports and country." Darry said.

"Could you possibly just shut up and drive, please?!" Trish said in an angry voice. To my amazement, Darry started to sing in the most stereotypical country accent I have ever heard.

_You broke my heart in two_

_Now I can't find the duct tape to put in together for you_

"Come on, girl, sing along now." Darry said between his made-up lyrics. Me and Trish looked at each other and shook our head but didn't stop him.

_When I met you, I thought I would die_

_I wanted to cry_

_Didn't know you were evil_

_Or that you would hurt me_

_Mr. Poly-Sci-Track-Team guy_

Me and Trish both look at him and smile as he continues.

_Turns out you're a twit and a real- _

We all jump as Darry is interrupted by a loud horn, which scared the living shit out of all of us. We all looked back to see a large truck riding our ass. Darry swerves trying to get it to go around us, but it kept following us and blaring its horn. For some reason, I felt more terrified of who was in the truck than the fact they were trying to run us off the road. Darry and Trish are panicking in the front while I'm trying not to hyperventilate.

"Go around me!" Darry shouted.

"Just get out of his way Darry!" Trish said equally panicked.

"I'm trying!" Darry yelled trying to keep the car under control.

"Let him pass you!" I shouted wanting this nightmare to end.

"He's nuts!" Darry stated.

"We know he's nuts, pull over!" Trish yelled at him, while reaching back trying to comfort me. I grab on to her like it's the last thing I'll do.

"Go around me!" Darry shouted in desperation.

"SLOW DOWN AND LET HIM FUCKING PASS YOU!" Trish shouted at the top of her lungs while still holding on to me and the seat between us.

"I'm trying!" Darry said as he was finally able to slow down and let the crazy driver drive around us.

I look up while still holding Trish for security and see the truck speeding off into the distance. I can make out the license plate and notice it says, 'beating you', but spelled B-E-A-T-N-G-U. I slowly calm down as do my siblings, but that had to be the most terrifying moment in my life.

"Jesus." I said as I gain my composure.

"Shit." Darry said in a quivering voice.

"What the HELL was his problem?!" Trish yelled while checking to make sure I was ok.

"My first guess, INBREEDING!" Darry shouted out the window at the truck as it disappeared over the hill ahead of us.

"You ok, Karen? Trish asked, concerned as I hold her in a death grip. She patted my head to calm me down.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just a little shook up." I said even though that was the biggest understatement of the day. I had never been more afraid, than I was right then, in my entire life.

I slowly release my grip on Trish, and she sits back in her seat. I'm still shaking, and I can see Trish and Darry shaking as well, this was a terrifying experience for all of us, but I was even more terrified. I felt that whoever was behind the wheel of that truck, we were in way more danger than we've ever been in.

"Get a load of that nasty old thing? What is that? The vehicle of choice for assholes and fucking serial killers?" Darry commented trying to lighten the mood.

"God… you know what I just thought of, right?" Trish asked.

"Kenny and Darla?" I said, knowing the local cautionary tale of drinking and driving.

Trish nodded.

"Trish, they died about a hundred miles from here." Darry stated.

"It's the same highway." I said.

"This highway runs the length of the state." Darry stated.

There was a brief pause before Trish continued.

"You believe it?" She asked.

"That they had to go looking for her head?" Darry answered.

"But they never found them, they only found the car." I said knowing the story.

"No, they never found her head, they found the car. Didn't find him or her head." Darry said, not realizing he was wrong.

"God, look at me, I'm still shaking." Trish said, still visibly shaken.

"You don't think every generation has their cautionary tale of drinking and driving on prom night?" Darry asked.

"No, I always heard it was true. Wheaton Valley High, class of '78." I said.

"You guys wanna know something?" Trish asked with a giggle. Darry and I listened, interested in what Trish was going to tell us.

"When I first heard that story… I used to think this was the highway I would die on." Trish admitted.

"Quite the cheery thinker today, aren't we, sis?" Darry commented, and I agreed. That was unusually dark for her. She looked down at avoided eye contact for a moment.

"What's Poly-Sci Guy been doing to you, anyway?" Darry asked, "Beating you?"

Trish looked up when Darry said that and that's when I knew. The reason Trish was so distant lately was because she's been getting beaten by her asshole of a boyfriend. If it weren't true then Trish wouldn't have had such a strong reaction when Darry said, 'beating you', but I had a feeling he was talking about the truck.

"The was the license plate on the van we just saw 'B-E-A-T-N-G-U'. So, Beating you, that's mine, that's three to five, holy shit!" Darry exclaimed. Confirming my suspicions that he was referring to the truck.

"You can't call it now." Trish said, trying to beat him at this game again.

"My ass!" Darry shouted.

"You have to call it when you see it." Trish lied, I knew the rules of this game very well.

"We were in shock!" I said trying to defend Darry.

"Tough." Trish laughed.

"What is this, a brand-new rule?" Darry asked, not believing her.

"It's not a new rule, it's always been this way." Trish lied again.

"Since when?" I asked.

"Since always." Trish said, as she kept up the lie.

"Since just now, maybe." Darry said truthfully.

"Your memories for shit." Trish commented, still trying to convince us that she's right.

"No, it's not." Darry and I said at the same time.

My older siblings proceeded to get into the old 'uh huh' and 'nah uh' fight. I watched and silently laughed as they sped up trying to outdo each other. It did come to a stop relatively quickly, with Darry saying nah uh infinity, but of course Trish had to shoot back with uh huh infinity squared. They've always done this and each time it gets more ridiculous. I was glad that they found a way to calm us all down, but I was still very uneasy. I just had an awful feeling that we would see that truck again and next time we would see who was behind the wheel.


	3. The Church

Chapter 3: The Church

After a while we stopped for a bathroom break, Trish and I went out into the field while Darry stayed by the car. I'm the only one who remembered to bring toilet paper, so Trish was a little jealous that she didn't think to get anything to wipe with, but oh well, you snooze you lose.

"Okay, name it!" Darry called out to Trish.

"What?" Trish asked.

"When we made the rule, you have to call it as soon as you see it?" Darry said.

"Would you give it up already?" Trish called.

"No, cause the rules always been the first person who calls it gets it." Darry explained and that was the actual rule even though Trish was trying to cheat him out of a point.

I was already back at the car having finished before Trish. Darry was sifting through the bags trying to find another bottle of water. He also stuffed all his dirty clothes back into the garbage bag he brought them in.

"You talk to mom lately?" Trish asked as she finished relieving herself.

"I told her we'd be home for break." Darry replied still searching for water.

"She sound weird?" Trish asked.

"What?" Darry asked not understanding the question.

"Did you listen to her voice?" Trish asked slowly like he was stupid.

"Could you specify please?" Darry asked in the same tone, "you drink the last water? The last one was mine." he whined. He stuffed more dirty clothes into his bags just as Trish got back to the car. I chuckled a little when she saw him do that and proceeded to berate him for it.

"You are class act, you know that?" Trish said sarcastically.

"Well you guys live off campus. Ever try to do laundry in a dorm? They don't steel they dye pink. I've got like 12 pairs of rosy pink jockey shorts." Darry explained. I noticed Trish grab the pine scented air freshener from the rear-view mirror and I chuckled when she chucked it into the bag with Darry's dirty clothes.

"Well maybe they know something about you, you don't 'hi mom, haven't seen you in forever, here's my dirty shorts." Trish acted out a comedic scenario.

"It's for her not me." Darry said.

Trish just gave him a look that said 'bullshit'

"What? I have to bring home laundry, if I don't, she gets depressed." Darry explained.

Trish just continued to stare, and it was at this moment I decided to cut in and explain how Darry is correct.

"Trish, she thinks we don't need her anymore. That's why he does this." I said. She just looked at me like I was crazy. Darry and I looked at each other and smile.

"We're serious." Darry said.

Trish just giggled and turned around to close her door and me and Darry did the same. While we did this, Trish and Darry started their classic insult game. It was always fun to listen to their insults and see who would mess up and repeat what was already said. This time as Trish stuck her head out the window after her insult of 'ass kisser' Darry muttered 'butt picker' but Trish heard him anyway and exclaimed that he lost. We all got a good laugh as we pulled back out onto the highway.

As we continue down the highway, we keep talking about our mother. Specifically, her happiness since we've all left the nest. Trish says she's not happy like she used to be, and Darry follows up with that fact nobody is happy like they were in the past, but he stops in the middle of his sentence while looking to his left.

"Hey… it's 'beating you'" he says, and we all look to where he's staring only to see something truly disturbing.

We see, what appears to be a man in a dark hat and trench coat, taking something out of the back of the truck and dumping it down a large pipe. I look a little closer and notice that the things he is dumping are wrapped and roped in sheets with red stains on them. This fact creeps me out to no end, but it gets worse as we drive further away from the building, I look at the man and see that he appears to be smiling and sniffing the air for some reason and that just scared the living shit out of me. When he is finally out of view, we all turn to each other and know we're all thinking the same thing.

"What the hell was he doing." Trish asked in a scared tone.

"He dropped something down that pipe." Darry said stating the obvious.

"Wrapped in a sheet." I said completely freaked out.

"Wrapped and roped in a sheet." Darry added.

"Wrapped and roped in a sheet with red stains on it." Trish added the final bit.

"Just get us out of here!" I yelled, not being able to take it anymore.

"Grab my cellphone." Darry said with slight panic in his voice.

"Where?" I ask searching.

"It's in the gym bag." He said.

I fish in the gym bag and quickly find the phone. I hand it to Trish since she is not shaking as bad as I am. She quickly starts to dial but stops when she looks out the back window. I look to see why and soon wish I hadn't. The truck came speeding around the building and through the grass back onto the road.

"Oh Jesus." I muttered quietly, but Darry heard me anyway and looked back.

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me." He said starting to panic even more.

We all heard the blaring horn of the monstrous truck and soon fear is kicking in. We also hear the phone start beeping and when Trish looks at it, I can tell by the look on her face that it is dead. Darry was the only one to have a phone and of course it fails at the worst possible time.

"The point of having a portable phone, idiot, is that it works when you need it." Trish said scared and pissed off.

"I have a power cable for it." Darry remarked trying to be calm.

"Yeah, and I have a cigarette lighter that doesn't work." Trish said sarcastically as she threw the phone back into the gym bag.

"Oh, god damnit what did I say?! My car! We should've taken my car!" Darry said all calmness flying out the window. Trish keeps looking out the back window to keep an eye on the truck and by the look on her face I can tell it's most likely gaining on us.

"He's coming up right on our ass." Trish said with shock in her voice.

Against my better judgment, I looked out the window to see that Trish was right, the truck is coming up on us unnaturally fast. Even though Darry probably has the gas peddle floored, this monster of a vehicle is gaining with very little effort and all the while blaring its haunting horn. I try not to look afraid, but something in me is telling me that I need to get as far away from this place as I possibly can and that is putting my flight response into overdrive. I manage to quell the urge to escape the car and fly away somehow knowing that would lead to more trouble, but the feeling was still there. I look at Darry through the rear-view mirror and see the panic on his face and I also see him hitting the steering wheel as if that would make the car go faster. If I was in his position, I would probably be doing the same thing, so I don't blame him.

"What the hell's he got in that thing?! He's got it souped up or something!" Darry yelled in full blown panic.

Trish and I both look to see the truck almost right on us. We looked to each other with wide eyes and then look to Darry.

"Darry?" We say to alert him. We look back to see that the truck appears to be speeding up, if that's even possible.

"He's coming up right on our… ass." Trish said slowly not believing what she was seeing. At that same moment the truck rammed the back of our car, sending me forward and Trish grabbing hold of me to keep me from being injured. When the truck hit us, Darry and Trish were also jerked forward, and the car swerved into the other lane and when Darry recovered, he immediately turned the steering wheel to keep the car under control. Trish held me tight as the truck backed off a little before coming back for a second blow.

"YOU'RE OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND!" Trish screamed, her grip on me tightening as well as my grip on her tightening. The truck hit us a second time sending everyone forward and again causing Darry to have to get the car under control. At this point I am on the verge of tears. I have never been so frightened in my entire life.

"WHAT THE HELLS YOUR PROBLEM!" Darry screamed trying his best to avoid another collision.

When the truck hit us a third time, we swerved into the other lane and the truck followed our every move. Once we recovered, Trish let go of me and I gripped the seats for dear life. I notice Darry panicky yelling for the truck to go around us, but it seems intent on running us off the road this time. For some reason I felt a chill run down my spine, but I paid it no mind because of the situation we were currently in. I see the truck drive up next to us and Trish stick her head out slightly.

"WHAT THE HELLS THE MATTER WITH YOU!" She screamed at the top of her lungs even though she knew she wouldn't get an answer.

The truck retreated to get behind us again and when it did Darry started swerving all over the road in an attempt to avoid the demented driver. At this point I am in tears and about to hyperventilate, but luckily Trish sees this and grabs me, holding me as close as she can with the seat in the way. I grab her as well, like she will disappear if I let go again. Suddenly, we feel Darry jerk the car and we look up to see what he's doing.

"Darry what are you doing?!" I ask in panic and confusion.

"Hang on!" Was all he said.

"Just don't kill us ok?" Trish said, tightening her hold as we all prepared for what Darry was about to do.

Next thing I know is we're swerving off the road and through a wooden fence. It was a bumpy ride, but it potentially saved all of our lives. We all take a moment to calm ourselves down and me and Trish let go of each other and look at Darry seeing him as equally shocked from the whole ordeal. I look behind us only to see the truck disappear into the distance. Trish and Darry get out of the car to assess the damage while I stayed in the car to try and make sense of the situation. I know that it's common sense to assume that guy came after us because we saw presumably him dumping bodies down that pipe. Even though that most likely is the reason they chased us, I couldn't shake this terrible feeling that they were chasing us for the sheer thrill of it. When I hear the car crank, I look up to see Trish in the driver's seat testing the ignition. I look back to see Darry messing with the trunk, maybe making sure it stays closed since it got a direct hit from the truck.

"It sounds ok." I heard Darry say. Trish looks at him with a 'really?' face.

"What?" Darry asks.

"Like any of us would know." Trish said stating the obvious. She was right about none of us really knowing how to fix a car.

"I know a little." Darry said trying to be helpful.

"Car makes a strange noise you just get a new tape, Darry you told me." Trish said, unamused.

"Told you? I learned it from you." Darry said, almost jokingly.

At this point we are all ready to get the hell out of there and get home. After being chased twice by some psycho in a beat-up truck I didn't think I could take much more unexpected events. I waited for Darry and Trish in the car and as Darry approached the passenger side, I couldn't help but think he is getting a really stupid idea. I decided to listen in to what my siblings were saying and even though I knew I wouldn't like what they were saying, I had to know.

"WE WERE JUST ATTACKED, DARRY!" Trish yelled.

"And you don't even wanna find out why?" Darry argued.

As my siblings argue about whether or not to go back and investigate the pipe, I was still trying to shake the feeling of terror I also hoped Trish would win the argument and we could get the hell out of here. There was just something about that place that made a cold shiver run up my spine. I felt like there was something in there that I did not want to witness, and would no doubt bring more harm then good to us. At this point, I had tuned out my older siblings' argument and tried to calm myself down by attempting to rationalize the situation. I tried to convince myself that we were chased simply because we witnessed that guy throwing what were obviously bodies down the pipe, but the way he was sniffing the air as we passed made me believe something else was in the works. I was so caught up in my own thoughts, that I didn't notice my brother and sister get back in the car and that we were on the road again. When I did notice and look out the window, I realized that we were headed in the _opposite_ direction and this made me panic.

"Guys… why did we turn around?" I asked, fearing the answer.

"We're going back to the pipe." Trish said with an anxious tone. My eyes widen and I could tell from her voice that this was all Darry's idea. I tried to calm myself but fail miserably.

"Why are we going back Darry? You know what we saw, and you know that this is a bad idea." I tried to convince him to turn the car around and get us the hell out of there, but he proceeded to explain his reasonings and my instinct to help someone in need kicked in before I could stop it. I, reluctantly, agreed to go back but like Trish I would stay in the car.

W e drove the short distance from where we crashed back to where we saw the man throwing the bodies down the pipe. As we pull in, we see that the old building is a church or used to be one. It looked like it had been abandoned for years judging from the disrepair but still looked rather sturdy. Darry got out and looked around before Trish's inner mother hen took hold and she got out too, leaving me in the car alone. I watch them walk around for a bit before Darry points to something and they both disappear behind the other side of the church. They were only out of sight for a few seconds before my anxiousness and curiosity got the better of me and I decided to leave the car to stay with my siblings. I run around the church to find them staring down the pipe and walk over. As I was walking, I notice a horrible smell coming from the pipe, I knew what it was without having to see it, but there was another faint scent. It smelled kind of earthy and usually I like the smell of earth but there was something off about it that I couldn't put my finger on.

"Oh God." Trish said covering her nose and mouth.

"Sure, doesn't look like a sewer pipe." Darry said doing the same.

"Yeah, doesn't smell like one either." Trish agreed.

"Can you see anything in there?" I ask just wanting to get out of here.

D arry tried to see but it was too dark, so he told Trish to get a flashlight out of the car. I wait with Darry while he yells into the pipe to see if he gets any sort of response, I hoped he wouldn't so we could leave but fate had other plans. As Darry and I began to walk away and back to the car we heard a low yelp come from the pipe. I stop and stare straight ahead in fear while Darry bolts back to the pipe and yells. Trish is coming back with the flashlight and Darry ushers her over quickly. I regain my composure and rejoin my siblings at the pipe and listen to Darry ask if anyone was down there, then he decides to climb into the pipe much to mine and Trish's dismay.

"Darry don't even think about it!" I protested.

"I heard someone." Darry argued.

"DARRY!" Trish yelled louder.

"Just let me get a little way in." he continued.

"You are NOT going down there!" Trish said through gritted teeth.

"I'm not!" Darry assured.

He climbed up on the pipe and told me to grab his feet and Trish to hold on to me. I took a hold of his feet and he inched his way deeper into the pipe. He looked around for about a minute before I threatened to let go and go back to the car. Not two seconds after my threat, he starts kicking and screaming about rats and with no thanks from gravity, Trish lost her grip on me while I held firmly on Darry's feet and then he sent both of us down the pipe. We slide down a good ten feet before we drop to the floor which was another ten feet. We hit the ground hard but thankfully we didn't get seriously injured. I landed on Darry, so he got it worse than me, but I figured he deserved it for making us come back here. I slowly get up and try to make the soreness in my muscles go away. I look myself over and see that I have a scrape on my right cheek; it stings but it wasn't bad. I also saw that my pants were torn across my right knee. I hear Darry groan and I roll my eyes and go to help him up, meanwhile I can hear Trish yelling for us outside.

"DARRY! KAREN!"

"OH GOD GUYS TALK TO ME!"

"GUYS SAY SOMETHING!" Trish yelled down the pipe.

"We're fine Trish." I answered her as I helped Darry get up. He cut his hand on the way down and I also noticed he lost his shoe. We look around and we see it hanging from the pipe.

"Oh, you suck." Darry said referring to Trish

"Oh God, I am so sorry." Trish apologized.

"I bet you are." Darry mumbled but Trish heard anyway.

"I am, I don't know what happened you were kicking…"

"Not as sorry as I am." Darry said.

"Hey, there were rats coming at my face."

"They were running at me too Trish."

They continued to bicker, and I just tuned them out and decided to look around a little and I soon regret it. Not a few feet from where we fell was what was obviously a body. I was instantly frozen in place. I couldn't even force myself to move at this point, all I knew was that I had to get out of here as fast as I could. I don't know why I felt such an intense urgency, but my instincts were telling me that we shouldn't be here. I don't know how long I stared but I was finally freed from my paralysis when Darry gripped my shoulder. He had apparently retrieved his shoe and then noticed that I was being extremely quiet and then followed my gaze and went quiet as well. At this point we are both staring at the body when we hear Trish demand an answer from us.

"We found our body." Darry said in a shocked tone.

"You what?" Trish asked more than a little spooked.

"We found our…" Darry started to say before I felt a hand grip my foot and I immediately freak out.

"AHHH! JESUS! GET OFF! GET OFF!" I screamed kicking the hand off.

I back up and Darry kneels down to rip the sheet off to reveal the poor young man beneath it. He took deep breaths and stared at me and Darry in what looked like surprise. I could have sworn that when he looked at me, there was a tinge of fear but quickly disappeared when he noticed how shocked I looked. The boy then proceeded to grab at his chest and stomach and Darry then rips the sheet further to reveal a horrible image that I won't soon forget. The poor boy had a huge incision going from the middle of his chest down to his stomach and it looked like he was stitched up with twine. This almost makes me physically ill but thankfully I stop myself from throwing up. The boy leans up and tries to say something, but we can't make it out, I think he said 'hide' but I'm not sure. We lean in to try and figure out what he's trying to say, but his breaths stop, and we see that he has died. I am saddened by this,this; he couldn't have been more than 17 years old. Whatever this poor kid went through, he didn't deserve to die like this, but I'm slightly comforted knowing that he didn't die alone.

Me and Darry look at each other with sad eyes but knowing that there is nothing we can do we stand and start to look for a way out. I watch as Darry goes back to the pipe and tells Trish to go back to the car and wait. He tells her to flag down anyone and tell them to get the cops out here right away. I walk a little way into the next part of the basement and see many horrific looking things on a table. There are knives, rolls of twine and thread, bottles filled with what looks like blood, and bone fragments. I back up and bump into Darry, I turn and see him shine the flashlight on the table. Now I can see everything in greater detail and the first thing I notice is the large carving spanning the length of the table. It showed a winged beast with claw-like appendages sprouting from its head. Seeing this image sends a huge shiver down my spine and I'm immediately afraid to be here. Darry seems to sense my unease and puts his free arm around me for comfort and guides me away from the table and deeper into the room to what is hopefully the exit. We are about half wayhalfway through the room when Darry stumbles and notices his shoe came untied and he lets go of me to tie it. As he is tying his shoe, we see something drip on to it, at first, we think that it's water but then more drips down and it has a weird yellow tinge to it. Darry gets suspicious and when he's done with his shoe, he points the flashlight upwards and we both wish he didn't. There were bodies everywhere, stuck to the walls and ceiling and each other. It was the most gruesome sight I have ever seen and at this point I couldn't help but throw up right then and there. Darry quickly grabs me and we both head to the stairs as quickly as we can, but as we get to the stairs, we see something that makes us question the story we heard about Kenny and Darla. We approach the two corpses that are holding hands and see the woman had her head sewn back on and a ring on the man's finger. I look closer and see that the ring says, 'Wheaton Valley class of 78'. Me and Darry look at each other in shock as we now knew the true reason behind Kenny and Darla's disappearance.


End file.
